Birds, <Sf<\ 4513 



extent of wings, 37 inches ; from flexure joint to the end of longest primary, ll£ 

 inches; beak, 1 inch; gape, 2 inches; tarsus, l^inch; longest toe, 1 T |> inch ; claw, 

 >$ inch. The plumage as follows : bill lead-colour ; nail black ; head dark brown, 

 feathers edged with wood-brown; back of neck buff-brown ; back umber-brown, fea- 

 thers edged with lighter brown ; tertials and secondaries umber-brown, tipped with 

 light brown ; in some of the feathers the tips are nearly white ; primaries, outer web 

 black, the tip half brownish black tipped with light brown, the basal half white and 

 shafts white ; tail-coverts umber-brown, broadly margined with clove-brown ; tail- 

 feathers, part brownish black, the basal half white, two middle feathers about half an 

 inch longer than the side ones; throat light brown, with longitudinal marks of dark 

 brown ; breast buff-brown, with transverse bars of darker brown ; under tail-coverts 

 clove-brown, with two bars of umber-brown on each feather ; tarsus lead-colour, the 

 base of the toes tinged with flesh-colour, the rest of the toes and web black. The 

 pomarine skua much resembles this when in the same immature plumage, but the 

 specific differences are in the measurements, the pomarine being larger, and the tips of 

 the primaries in Richardson's skua being light brown. — Edward L. King ; Lynn, 

 Norfolk, October 5, 1854. 



Occurrence of the Pomarine Skua (Catarractes pomarinus) in Derbyshire. — An indi- 

 vidual of this rather rare skua has recently been obtained in Derbyshire, and under 

 somewhat curious circumstances. On September 23rd a strange bird was observed 

 by Thomas Cox, Esq., near the village of Burnaston, in company with some rooks. 

 The stranger was evidently wishful to form companionship with the gentlemen in 

 sable, but the desire was not mutual, and consequently he was driven about by them 

 with considerable violence, until he ultimately fell to the ground, and was picked up 

 by Mr. Cox. The bird proved to be the pomarine skua. It has been most admirably 

 preserved by Mr. Cook, Museum, Derby. It may be, perhaps, worthy of remark, that 

 Mr. Cook has generally in his possession several of the rarer feathered tribes, and if 

 any subscriber to the ' Zoologist' passes through Derby he will, I am sure, be happy 

 to show them to him. — John Joseph Briggs ; King's Newton, Derbyshire, October, 

 1854. 



Appearance of a Fish supposed to be the Fox Shark (Carcharias vulpes) off Scar- 

 borough. — About the middle of September, being on a visit to Scarborough, I went 

 out with five gentlemen, in a small boat, to fish for whitings. When a mile from 

 shore, the boat was anchored and the sport commenced. In a short time the boatman 

 at the helm became much alarmed, frequently exclaiming that he had seen a monster 

 fish as long as the boat, and he wanted immediately to pull to shore. The matter was 

 at first treated by the party as a ridiculous story which had been invented by the man 

 to excite their curiosity. In a few minutes, however, up started the man upon his legs 

 and exclaimed " There he is !" at the same time pointing towards the fish, which had 

 just risen to the surface of the sea. At that time the animal was about a hundred 

 yards from the boat, and appeared at that distance about twelve or fourteen feet long. 

 He afterwards came nearer, and he was estimated by the party at eighteen or twenty 

 feet. His manners were somewhat curious and interesting. He would come up to 



